Chapter 1
This is Chapter 1 from the manga series, Namaikizakari. Plot Being the eldest of five siblings, second year high school student, Machida Yuki was forced to mature quickly and act like an adult. Being in love with the basketball club team captain, she becomes the the club's manager but later finds out that the captain has a girlfriend. Finding out her secret, she is played around by the irritating first year club member, Shou Naruse. Interested in the manager's different expressions following a match, Naruse confesses to Yuki. Chapter Summary It is spring. ‘I definitely would not want to be in a relationship with such an arrogant person' is the reception girl's first impression of Naruse Shou. She calls out to Naruse and informs him that he is in section C and to wait in the auditorium before school starts all the while thinking that he’s quite tall and also rude as he is busy with his cellphone while she is talking to him. He replies with a blunt 'oh'. As she is providing him a ribbon to pin on his chest, a ponytailed girl slaps Shou's back and screams that it has been a long time since they've last met. She slaps him so hard that Shou balances himself by holding the reception girl's chest. Everyone freezes. Shou mutters, “It's really big”. The reception girl is 17 years old, second year high Machida Yuki. She remains stoic and for her, for this kid to touch her chest is not even worth mentioning. Flashback to when she was young, her younger siblings are quarrelling and making a huge ruckus. Yuki’s cup breaks but despite being a 5 year old, she is controlling her temper by telling herself not to get angry even though she is trembling in anger. In a family of triplet younger brothers and twin younger sisters, she as the oldest one, is forced to mature quickly and has to adopt the mindset of an adult. And because of this, half a year ago when the 'really big' incident happened, it didn't even matter to her. It is now the second term. She doesn’t get flustered or embarassed when that old commotion is mentioned, or even if she recalls it. Yuki, the manager of the basketball club, blows her whistle and tells everyone that the practice match is over, now they are playing two-on-two. When Abe asks her for some rest time, she tells him only after 8 minutes and 43 seconds and lectures Abe to concentrate a bit since the Winter Cup is approaching. Shou comments "How scary" and tells her that she has such a stiff face but he thinks the only thing that should be stiff is one’s chest. Yuki tells him to shut up and get back to position. Dribbling the ball, Shou leaves. While the other first years are gossiping about Shou touching her chest before, Yuki is checking their chances in winning the Winter Cup since their team has gotten stronger but not enough to get in the short-list. Just as someone shouts that it is slippery, Yuki interrupts her thoughts and quickly mops the slippery part while the others think that she’s really scary. A guy praises her for being passionate with her work. She looks at the guy and thinks that it is because this might be the last competition for the third years. Kido tells Yuki that if she replaces him, they'd definitely win. She tells him that as team captain, it is no good if he doesn’t pull himself together. Patting her head, Kido says that he’s kidding and tells her how she doesn’t smile very often. Yuki’s heart beats faster. While Yuki continues to mop, a guy asks Kido about wearing a wrist band that he hasn’t seen before. Kido says that it is a gift from his girlfriend. This startles Yuki so much that she breaks the mop handle. The boys ask him if it is the cute bunny-like girl and when they started dating. Blushing a bit, Kido says that the girl confessed to him the day before and then they started dating. Yuki is heartbroken. She recalls the time when she took responsibility to tidy things up in class and sent the others home while they think of how she is like an ‘older sister’. It was last summer when she bumped into Kido while carrying a box of stuff and fell for him. Kido offers to help her carry the box even while she insists that she can carry it by herself. Even if she cannot become his girlfriend, just be able to stay by his side and to watch him, she tells the PE teacher that she wants to be the manager of the basketball club. She thinks to herself, since she became a manager with an impure motive, this is God’s retribution. In the clubroom, flipping over a book, Yuki cannot believe that Kido has a girlfriend. She wonders who the ‘cute bunny girl’ is. She always that being in a sports club would mean that there is no time for dating so this revelation is quite a shock to her. She could even see happy aura around Kido when he said that he’s dating her. She starts to tear up even though she doesn’t want to cry over it. She freezes when Shou slurps his juice and asks her why she is crying. Yuki sucks her tears back and nervously says that she isn’t. He asks her about the books and she tells him that she is looking at articles about the rival team. When she asks him why he's there, he tells her that he was going to eat with Abe but realized that he had forgotten his wallet. While taking his wallet from the locker, he says that he saw the captain kissing his girlfriend in front of the clubroom. Yuki groans and looks back while Shou says "Just kidding". Yuki looks at Shou and knows that this is going to be bad, After taking his wallet, Shou says that it's amazing how even she has things to cry about and how it is weird that she likes the captain. When Yuki is nervously trying to deny, Shou leaves saying goodbye. In class, Yuki wonders why it had to be Shou who found out. She thinks that now her peaceful basketball club life is over. She believes that on today’s club activity, the guys would be gossiping about her liking the captain. She imagines Kido being dissapointed at how she looked at him. Since she didn’t have any expectations of being his girlfriend and just wanted to stay by his side, she reminds herself to concentrate on the competition. At the gym, Shou catches the ball but gets blocked by a boy who is determined to block him today but Shou still manages to shoot and scores. Fangirls go wild. Looking at her data book, Yuki thinks that they have a chance at the competition with three strong third years along with Shou. Also, based on how the others are acting, it seems that her secret wasn’t exposed. Her heart starts to beat faster when Kido bends close to her and comments over how amazing she is for making the data book. While Kido is talking to her, Yuki wonders how to act for it felt unbearable. Shou, who is watching, approaches them and nearly tells the captain what she was doing the other day. Yuki immediately grabs him and takes him out of the gym. Holding his collar, Yuki asks what he was planning to say but he says that he was just about to say how she was doing a data plan against the rival team. She warns him not to say unnecessary words. He tells her that if she wants him to keep it a secret, she has to let him touch her chest. She tells him not to get carried away. Sitting down, Shou says that this is boring, when she was obviously super rattled yesterday. She asks if it is interesting to make a fool of someone older, and tells him to get back to practice. Shou says that he is just a bit interested on what other kinds of expressions she has got. Yuki thinks that she really doesn't want to get involved with him after all. During lunch, Yuki realizes that she forgot her bento so she has to buy something at the canteen. While walking at the outside corridor, she thinks that it is not only because she became absent minded due to the club break but also because a lot of things have happened recently. And, she passes by Kido and his girlfriend. They are holding hands while talking about there’s no club today due to rest before the competition. Yuki thinks of how cute she is but in the end, seeing it directly is really painful. Suddenly, a magazine falls down on her head. She takes it off and it turns out to be a porn magazine. With a bun on his mouth, Shou, who is on the roof with his friends, apologizes and asks her to return it. Yuki tells him that it is dangerous to climb up there and tells him to get down. While the other friend is freaking out over Shou deliberately dropping the magazine, Shou asks if there’s no club today. Yuki says that it is a break today, though the tournament is tomorrow so he better not be late. Yuki thinks that it would have been better if she did not see them together but assures herself that it is alright as she just wanted to be by his side. In the clubroom, Yuki is writing a sign ‘Focus’ when Shou comes in and asks what she likes about the captain. She sternly says that it is club break today and asks him why he is there. Shou tells her that that's his line. He praises her beautiful calligraphy. She says that she’s making a cheering banner even if it is a bit small since their club doesn’t have an official cheering group. She tells him that she is doing to do what she can do until the competition on the day after tomorrow. Bending down near her, Shou tells her that if she cheers hard for them they would not magically win the match but in reality it's just that she doesn’t want the captain to retire. Yuki admits it on impulse but later regrets for her carelessness. Shou tells her that he saw her looking at the captain and his girlfriend with a hurt expression during lunch and says that if she likes the captain, she should just confess to him but Yuki says that it is impossible.He asks if it is because he has a girlfriend. Yuki tells him that not everyone is like him who can blurt whatever he wants to say like a kid. She thinks of how he would never understand her. Yuki remembers of the time when she was 3 years old, when her grandma had given her a cup with her name printed on it which she loved very much. Two years later, when her grandma had already passed away,her siblings break the cup. Telling herself that if she doesn't calm down, she will never become an adult. Likewise, remembering the captain and his girlfriend together, she assures herself that she can let go. The coach, who is a senile old man, arrives to greet the members. He advises everyone to not lose hearts even if they lose and to play happily. He asks Kido for assurance using the wrong name (Kinou) and Kido corrects his name and tells him that that they'll do their best. The coach says that they have talented first years this year including Yanase, meaning Naruse, getting his name wrong too. When he blatantly agrees, the others mutter that he had to correct his name. Yuki wonders if tomorrow would be the last time to see Kido in the club. When some fangirls say that they would be cheering for Shou tomorrow, he glances at Yuki who hurriedly looks away. She thinks of how she got careless yesterday and lost her cool with an underclassman, especially with Shou. She assures herself that she won't let him tease her around anymore. Just as everyone is leaving, Kido tells everyone that the competition will be at 10am tomorrow so they are going to leave at 7. While greeting goodbye, Yuki wants to wish Kido good luck when his girlfriend arrives and tells him ‘good job for today'. With an aura of happiness, Kido asks if she was waiting for him. Yuki is startled when Shou whispers from behind for her not to stare them to death. She tells him not to stand behind her, talking like an assassin. She is surprised when he asks her when she is going to smile. While getting his shoes, he says that he has seen her cry and get angry but he hasn’t seen her smile. Yuki says that she will smile if a good thing happens. He walks away saying that he’s hungry. This makes her wonder if he was simply fooling around with her when he said that he finds it interesting to see her other expressions. She darkly thinks that she won’t smile even if they win tomorrow, that she absolutely won’t smile in front of that guy, and she won’t be fooled by him again. On the following day, it is their school, Ryuhoku vs Meisei. As they play, the coach hopes that no one gets injured. Yuki feels uneasy over Kido’s girlfriend who is directly behind her while she is cheering for Kido and struggles to concentrate. During halftime, Ryuhoku has 26 while Meisei has 46. Even with the 20 points difference, the coach says that they did well. A guy scolds Shou if he has been playing seriously to which he replies, 'a little bit'. The guy shouts at him to give his all. Yuki thinks that with only 20 minutes left, it is hard to catch up but it is still too early to give up. The game starts again and Shou manages to score. Abe and others cheer on for him. The coach says that Yanase(again getting Naruse's name wrong) seems to be preserving his strength for the latter half of the game and that he’s quite energetic. Yuki darkly says that he’s called Naruse. Yuki thinks of him as a showoff. Even though she’s quite infuriated, she glad that the score difference is gradually decreasing. On the third quarter, the score is 42 against Meisei’s 50. A Meisei guy with menacing aura, guards Shou and tells him that he won’t let a cocky little freshman slip away. Shou manages to break through his defense but he accidentally steps on the guy’s foot. He feels a sharp pain and is bending down while his teammates ask if he is okay. When Yuki tells him that he might have twisted his ankle and asks to come over and rest while she sends over a substitution, Shou says that it won't be necessary. He won’t listen to Yuki so Kido asks him if he is really okay but Shou tells him to shut up. Kido gets annoyed but Shou says that if this continues, they’ll lose and if they lose, he’ll retire which means that it will continue to be that super boring expression again. Kido doesn't understand what he is talking about. Yuki is surprised when she understands that he is planning to win the match so that she will finally smile even though he is in pain. As the opponent manages to hit the ball away from Shou, Yuki thinks of how there is only 10 seconds left with a difference of 10 points and Meisei is leading with 72 points. The opponent is controlling the ball, their players are extremely exhausted, and no matter how one thinks, it is impossible to turn this defeat to victory. As the ball sails through the air and Shou jumps to catch it, she wonders why he still won’t give up. Shou winces after he lands on the floor. Even though he managed to score, it is already over. Yuki thinks of how he will definitely be blocked again and even if he manages to score a three pointer, it is impossible to catch up. With 5 seconds left on the timer, they can only just give up. Annoyed, Yuki sucks up her breath and shouts out loud, “NARUSE! IF YOU LET THAT BALL GET STOLEN AWAY, I’M GOING TO SPANK YOUR BUTT!". Everyone is shock. She continues to scream that whether it is win or lose, it doesn’t matter and that he only has to absolutely not give up on that ball, all the while thinking that it is actually her that doesn’t want to give up. While Shou suddenly charges and breaks the opponent’s defense, Yuki continues thinking that even when she doesnot want to give up, she always gets scared of fighting so she always lets go. Shou jumps to shoot the ball and gets a score; Yuki keeps thinking that she can only hope for a little bit that she can become strong just like him. It is announced that the competition ends with Meisei winning with 72 to 65. Abe tensely looks at Yuki and tells her that the game is over and that they’ve lost. It is then when Yuki realizes that she said something like "smack your butt" in Kido's retiring game and bids farewell to her youth. Kido notices that Shou is bending down and asks if his foot is really hurting. He is puzzled for it turns out that Shou is laughing. Kido asks if he really is alright to which he answers that he can't hold it in anymore. In their locker room for their team, Yuki asks Shou if he’s an idiot for his foot is swelling like a pig. Sitting on the floor, Shou removes his sock which reveals his swelling right ankle and says that it really hurts. While Yuki bandages his foot, Shou asks where the others are. Yuki says that they are at the meeting and would all go to the hospital later on because he will be going to be admitted there. She tells him to not be reckless like that again. After a pause, Shou teases her saying, she herself said that she would spank his butt. Yuki darkly tells him that is enough, and to forget about it. Shou says that if she spanked him, he might recover faster. As Yuki prepares to leave, Shou calls out to her and Yuki annoyed to the fullest, turns around when Shou gives her a kiss and says, “I’ve fallen for you.” Yuki looks aghast and thinks to herself that she is in trouble. 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